Artificial leather.



WILLIAM WALDEN, on NEW. YORK, N. Y.

ARTIFICIAL LEATI-I ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,869, dated August28, 1900. Application filed March 5, 1900. Serial No. 7,849. (Nospecimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WALDEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, (Brooklyn,) in the county of Kings and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inArtificial Leather, of which the following is a specification.

My presentinvention relates to an improved artificial leather or leathersubstitute especially adapted as an inner-soling material for boots andshoes; and it has for its object to provide a material for the purposestated that will strongly resemble split sole-leather, but which will beless expensive to manufacture and much superior to the ordinary splitleather now generally employed in the manufacture of inner soles in thatit is waterproofed to prevent moisture from passing therethrough and isprovided with an absorbent coating to take up or absorb the moisturefrom the feet. Furthermore, my improved material is much stronger andtougher than ordinary split leather, and inner soles made therefrom willnot curl and break, which is a serious objection to split leather, suchas is now generally used in the manufacture of inner soles for boots andshoes.

It is the purpose of my said invention to employ in the manufacture ofmy improved leather substitute or inner-soling material the finesole-leather dust formed, for instance, by the buffing rolls ofleather-working machinery when acting upon sole-leather in themanufacture of boots or shoes, which fine dust is now universallyconducted away and not used, since heretofore it has had no commercialvalue. By utilizing this heretoforevalueless product I am able toproduce my improved inner-sole material or leather substitute at a verylow cost.

In order to enable others to understand and practice my said invention,Iwill now proceed to describe the same in detail, together with theseveral steps of the process by which it is made. 7

In practicing the invention I first take a suitable flexible base orbody, such as heavy duck or some similar fabric or other flexiblematerial, and coat upon one side or surface thereof an adhesivesubstance, preferably a transparent waterproof adhesive material, so

as to render the same waterproof, and upon this adhesively-coated sideof the fabric I sprinkle or otherwise apply a layer of dry sole-leatherdust, which will adhere thereto and form a surface or coating stronglyresembling in all respects genuine split leather. The coated base orfabric may then be passed between rollers or otherwise subjected topressure to cause the coating thus applied to be firmly embedded in andenter the interstices or meshes of the frabric or other base employedand form therewith a practicallyhomogeneous mass, but which will beflexible or pliable like ordinary sole-leather. While I have describedthe coated base or fabric as being passed between pressure-rollers, Iwish it understood thatI may, if desired, omit this step of the processentirely. After the coating, as above described, has been applied thestrip' or finished web may be dried in any suitable manner. The reverseside of the duck or fabric may be coated in a similar manner, ifdesired; but it has been found preferable in some cases to simply treatthe said reverse side with a coating of starch or some suitablewaterproofing substance or material in order to give a certain degree ofbody or stiffness to the finished strip or web.

While I have set forth that the reverse side of the base or body may becoated, I do not desire to be limited thereto, for it will be obviousthat I may leave this side of the said base or body in its natural stateand Without any special coating.

Byemploying a transparent adhesive material, as above set forth, thecolor of the leather-dust is not changed or impaired, and the coatedside of the fabric or web thus strongly resembles genuine split leather.The adhesive material also having waterproofing properties, asdescribed, the fabric will be water-repellent, which is a very desirablefea ture.

Instead of applying the leather-dust coat ing in the manner justdescribed, andif it is desired to give the fabric a thicker coating, Imay, and in some cases I prefer, to first make a compound by combiningthe transparent waterproof adhesive material with the soleleather dustand spread or otherwise apply this mixture to the fabric or other baseor web in such manner as to cause the same to become firmly embedded inthe interstices or meshes of the fabric or other base, and before thesame becomes thoroughly dry or hardens I apply or sprinkle thereover alayer of dry sole-leather dust, which will readily adhere to the firstcoating and form a surface strongly resembling split sole-leather. Thecompleted strip may or may not, as desired, then be subjectedtopressure, as before described, according to the particular finishrequired. I

While my improved inner-soling material is primarily treated with aWaterproofin g size which renders the same moisture and water proof,still it will be understood that the surface coating of dry sole-leatherdust is somewhat porous or absorbent, and will thus absorb the moistureor perspiration from the feet, which is a very desirable and importantfeature of the invention and one rendering the material especiallysuited for inner soles for footwear. 7 That I claim isg 1. An improvedartificial leather having a surface representing split sole-leather,comprising a flexible base or body impregnated with a Waterproofadhesive substance to render the same Water-repellent, anda layer orcoating of sole-leather dust affixed to one surface of the base or bodyover the said waterproof adhesive substance, said sole-leather dustbeing partially embedded in the interstices of the base or body to causethe same to adhere firmly thereto and providing an outer finishinglayerinimitation of split soleleather, said layer being absorbent, for thepurpose specified.

2. An improved artificial leather having a surface in imitation of splitsole-leather, comprising a flexible base or body impregnated and coatedon one side with a composition mixture of sole-leather dust andwaterproof adhesive substance to render the base or bodyWater-repellent, said mixture or coating being partially embedded in theinterstices of the base or body to cause the same to firmly adherethereto, and an outer finishing layer or coating of dry sole-leatherdust affixed to said first-named coating to produce a surface inimitation of split sole-leather.

3. An improved artificial leather having'a surface finished to imitatesplit sole-leather, comprising a flexible base or body impregnated witha waterproof adhesive substance to render the same water-repellent,andalayer or coating of sole-leather dust affixed to the base or body, overthe said waterproof adhesive substance, said layer of sole-leather dustbeing partially embedded in the interstices of the base or body to causethe same to firmly adhere thereto and to produce a finished surface inimitation of split sole-leather, said layer or coating of sole-leatherdust being absorbent, and a suitable waterproofing and stiffening agentupon the reverse side of the base or body, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM WVALDEN.

Witnesses: I

CHAs. E. DUROSS, FRANK L. HOLT.

